Lockheed awarded $506.9M contract for PAC-3 missiles

A Lockheed Martin interceptor successfully intercepted an Air-Breathing Threat with a PAC-3 Patriot missile in a test last July at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. Photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin

March 15 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin a $506.9 million contract to build the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missiles.

The contract is for incidental services, hardware, facilities, equipment, as well as all technical, planning, management, manufacturing and testing efforts to produce the Patriot, which is an acronym for the Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target, the Department of Defense announced Thursday.

Work will be performed at Lockheed's plant in Grand Prairie, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2024. Army fiscal 2019 other procurement funds in the full amount were obligated at the time of the award.

Patriots defend against incoming threats, including tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and aircraft. The PAC-3 missiles first were deployed during the Iraq conflict in 2003 with 100 percent effectiveness.

The missile system uses a solid propellant rocket motor, aerodynamic controls, attitude
control motors and inertial guidance to navigate.

Late last month, the Defense Department awarded separate contracts to Lockheed Martin and Raytheon for Patriot missile support for several allied nations.

Lockheed was awarded a $680 million deal earlier this month for foreign military sales to South Korea, Poland, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, Romania, Germany and Netherlands. Raytheon also received $102.5 million for parts on domestic and Netherlands Patriot systems on the same day.